Ignition-chamber for gas-engines.



No. 725,104. PATENIED APR. 14, 1903. A, A. LOW. IGNITION CHAMBER FOR GASENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 1901.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WW sis. pgzpwugfiv No. 725,104. I PATENI'ED APR. 14', 1903; A. AJLOW.

IGNITION CHAMBER FOR GASENGINE S.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1901. F0 MODEL.

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ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IGNITION-CHAMBER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,104, dated April14, 1903.

Application filed June ll 1901. $erial No. 6 1.111. (No model'.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABBOT AUGUSTUS Low, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ignition-Chambers for Gas-Engines, of which the following is aspecification sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to whichthe invention appertainstto make and use the same.

My invention relates to so-called ignitionchambersof gas-engines, inwhich the compressed charge of hydrocarbon vapor and air is fired, as inthe Hirsch kerosene-engine described in Letters Patent dated April 4:,1899, No. 622,469. In this class of engine a preliminary heating of theignition-chamber is essential in starting the engine if the latter hasbeen atrest a considerable length of time, since the temperature of thechamber is gradually lowered by radiation below the ignitionpoint whenthe supply of fuel is cut off. Hence itis desirable to retard the escapeof heat by radiation when the engineis stopped temporarily only in orderto avoid the necessit-y for reheating the ignition-chamber externally.

Another desideratum is the maintenance of a steady uniform heat in theignition-chamber while the engine is in operation, so as to attainperfect combustion of the hydrocarbon which is apt to carbonize and smutthe chamber and cylinder if the degree of heat rises too high and to beineflicient and unreliable if the temperature drops too low.

The main object of my invent-ion is to obviate these difficulties and topositively insure a practical uniformity of temperature by retardingchanges of temperature by means of an air-jacket arranged and operatingas hereinafter more fully set forth, so that the engine may be run at ahigher rate of speed with increased economy of fuel and so that it maybe maintained at a working temperature for a reasonable length of timeeven after the supply of fuel is shut off.

Another feature of my invention consists in the means, as described,whereby the pre liminary heating of the combustion-chamber may beefiected more conveniently and rapidly by preventing interference orback pres sure by the wind against the flame of the heating-torch, ashereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvedarrangement 'of parts; Fig. 2, an elevation taken at right angles toFig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 4 4, Fig.2; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 3 3, 1; Fig.5, a view of the cover for the outlet to the hood.

0 represents the bulbular ignition-chamber formed with the hydrocarbon-inlet 0 and adapted to be secured to the power-cylinder A in the usualway. Surrounding and inclosing the ignition-chain her 0 is the hood H,having the 0peningh,through which the end of the torch is inserted toeffect the preliminary heatingoftheignition-bulb,said hood H being alsoformed with the outlet h for the products of combustion escaping fromthe torch, which latter may be of the form set forth in my concurrentapplication, Serial No. 37,709, filed November 26, 1900, or of any othersuitable form.

As heretofore used the presence of a strong Wind has been apt. to retardand interfere with the preliminary heating of the ignition-bulb by meansof the torch by reason of back pressure exerted through the aperture hagainst the blast-flame of the torch. This I obviate by providing theexit h with an extensionpipe P and fitting to the end of theextensionpipe a cowl'p, so that the external pressure of air will beutilized in increasing the draft of flame around the ignition-chamberinstead of opposing it, as heretofore. In other words, the wind willturn the cowlp with its mouth in the opposite direction to that fromwhich it is blowing, so as to not only prevent the possibilityof backpressure, but actually to create a suction or partial vacuum within thecowlp and extension P,which facilitates combustion and the discharge ofthe products thereof.

It is to be understood that the cowl p and extension P are only usedtemporarily during the preliminary heating of the ignition-bulb. Atother times the opening h is closed by a cover 71 (Shown in Fig. 5.)When thus closed by the cover, it will be seen that all draft throughthe hood H is prevented. A hood 0 is provided around the opening 71, asseen in Figs. 2 and 4.

Surrounding the hood H, I constitute my air-tight jacket by means of ashell S, fitting snugly around the neck of the outlet h at 8, around theneck of the opening h at 3', around the inlet 0, and'against theexterior surface of the base-plate c, by which the ignition-chamber Cand appendant parts are secured to the engine-cylinder, thusconstituting an inclosed air-space a, surrounding the hood H andignition-bulb 0. As a result the air confined in the shell S acts toretard the escape of heat by radiation, and to thereby maintain auniformity of temperature at which the best results can be attained.Thus a higher rate of speed may be maintained at a minimum expenditureof fuel, the carbonizing of the fuel is'prevented and perfect combustionattained, and the necessity for reheating the ignitionchamber isdecreased, since the degree of'heat requisite to effect combustion Willbe maintained in the combustion-chamber for some time after the supplyof fuel is cut off.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

with outlet and a horizontal extension dis-' posed oppositely to saidinlet, a hood secured to said extension, and a shell inclosingthelirst-mentioned hood and fitted snugly around the vertical extensionthereof and around the horizontal extension and the inlet and to saidbase-plate and forming an inclosed air-space surrounding said hood, allsubstantially as shown and described.

ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW.

Witnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, JOHN KIRN.

